We’ve written about Courteney Cox’s Malibu home before – and we’re not shy about writing about it again. Mostly because it’s gorgeous. But also because, via our friends at Curbly, we found another little slideshow of photos of the home from Elle Decor magazine. This slideshow, unlike the first one we shared, includes photos of the remodeling process more than the end result.

Most striking to us were the before and after photos. Quite a difference, which is what the team was going for, of course:

See this process slideshow here, and if you haven’t, read Elle Decor’s original article about the remodel here.

By way of the great Hooked on Houses, we learned of the great new cover story in Architectural Digest: a look inside the Malibu mansion of Will and Jada Pinkett Smith. AD writes:

The 25,000-square-foot house has a surprising intimacy—a soul animated by the craftsmanship on display and the spirit of the celebrity power couple that live here with their children, Willow, Jaden, and Trey, Will’s son from his first marriage. “For Will and me this home was always a spiritual endeavor,” Jada says. “We’re very earthy, organic people. We wanted to create a family retreat, something made by hand and as natural as possible, something that ties back to the land.”

The adobe-style home was designed by Stephen Samuelson with architect Harry Perez-Daple, and although it’s a gorgeous home inside and out, the view might just be the most spectacular part. As you’d hope, the home is designed to be very open, bringing the outside in and taking advantage of everything Mother Nature has to offer.

Read more about the house and its interior decoration — and see more photos — at Architectural Digest.

[photos by Architectural Digest]

When you take a peek inside actress Courteney Cox’s gorgeous Malibu home, courtesy of Elle Decor, you certainly get the sense it was a place created by a talented team of architects and designers. What’s less clear at first, though, is how integral a part of that team Cox was herself. Here’s an example, from Elle Decor’s article:

In the spirit of Monica Geller, the driven, perfectionist chef she played on Friends, Cox sure-handedly led the team through “intense” once-a-week planning meetings that lasted three hours. “I’ve been overseeing renovations of my homes for a long time, and I have strong opinions about what I want and why.” She scrutinized every detail, down to the smoky color of the tennis courts. [Architect Michael] Kovac recalls a visit from the tennis court surface company representative, who displayed his 10 stock colors. None quite fit the bill. “Courteney got him to bring a sample of the pigments of every color they had, along with some paintbrushes and paper plates, and everyone on the building team worked on mixing the pigments into new combinations. She had to get it exactly right.”

Sure enough, the first sentence of the article says, “Before becoming an actress, Courteney Cox wanted to be an architect,” and her attention to detail has paid off. She’s found a stunning location and created a truly beautiful home. Be sure to check out the Elle Decor article for more on the process of creating the home and, of course, for a couple dozen great photos. Here are some of our favorites.

A nearly all-white kitchen certainly makes it feel open, airy and inviting.

Outdoor fireplace with a rather stunning view, eh? This is built to jut out slightly over a drop-off overlooking the ocean and beach below. Not bad.

Stand-out feature of this bedroom: the custom-made zinc headboard and footboard. Note how the headboard extends beyond the bed itself and becomes a feature of the entire room.

This month’s issue of Architectural Digest includes a tour of Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne’s new Los Angeles home, which was designed by Martyn Lawrence-Bullard. Think the bright, eclectic space was inspired by the Prince of Darkness? Think again. “Sharon rules the roost when it comes to decor,” Lawrence-Bullard said.

With their now-adult children having flown from the nest and their previous home becoming something of a tourist attraction after the success of their reality show, Sharon says the couple sought a quieter, simpler refuge. Sharon stumbled upon a 10,000-square-foot home in a gated community in Hidden Hills. They pounced and immediately had the home converted from seven bedrooms to just three. That’s when Lawrence-Bullard came in.

The Osbourne home has all the charm of an English farmhouse with massive windows overlooking green hills and fields. We particularly like the use of sliding barn doors, which creates more intimate settings amid a floor plan full of sprawling rooms. The home is accented with purple and light blue hues throughout, combining vitality and luxury against distressed white paint and wood floors.

Be sure to check Architectural Digest for more on the home.

[Photos courtesy of Architectural Digest]

Part guilty pleasure and part style inspiration, taking a peek inside celebrity homes is always fun. Design and decor blog the Lennoxx compiled several photos to offer a look at Gwyneth Paltrow’s home in the Hamptons. With a gorgeous pool outside and a lot of open, white airy-ness inside, it has quite a pleasant feel.

Despite the emphasis on keeping things light and white, she’s not shy about incorporating black for contrast. A black fireplace, handrail on the stairs, artwork and other accessories, and kitchen cabinetry (see image below) keep the home from getting that almost unlivable “too bright to touch” feel many ultra-light homes can have. She also uses great patterned wallpaper to add subtle bits of texture and style rather than keeping all the walls stark white.

The Lennoxx post is a great compilation of photos from and links to other posts about the house, including a behind-the-scenes look at the home’s photo shoot. If you’re interested in more about Gwyneth and her home, be sure to check out those other articles.

[photo 1 courtesy of Best Home News and photo 2 courtesy of the Style Files]

Every once in a while, we like to give you a peek inside a celebrity’s big, fancy home. Not to make anyone jealous or anything like that — just to show some great examples of stylish interior design and decor and perhaps to give you a bit of inspiration next time you tackle some home improvement projects.

The March 2011 issue of Architectural Digest include a predictably great photo feature about musician Sheryl Crow’s 1920s home in the Hollywood Hills. With a original Spanish tile on the staircase, and furniture from the Pottery Barn, and a host of instruments strewn about the house, Crow’s home effortlessly blends classic decor with more modern elements.

According to AD: “The Ginebra sectional sofa and vintage cocktail table [in photo at right] were found at 22 Bond St.; the sea-grass rug is by Pottery Barn. Ron Pippin’s trophylike 2007 sculpture Deer with Copper Horns is displayed on a wall.” The photo shows a bit of the home’s Spanish-style architecture and gives a taste of Crow’s decorating style.

The home sits on an 11-acre property that also includes a bridge arching over a small ravine and a garden complete with tepee. Learn more — and see many more photos — at Architectural Digest’s website.

Megan Mullally, known for her tenure as Karen on “Will & Grace,” and Nick Offerman, Ron Swanson on “Parks and Recreation,” are more homebodies than house flippers, so the chance to move out of their West Hollywood duplex into a more stylish, comfortable and spacious place they could make their own was appealing. As told by Elle Decor magazine:

The couple purchased their home in 2003 after living in a West Hollywood duplex they decorated with flea-market finds and other humble treasures. They were attracted to this house’s crisp modern architecture, the generous scale of its rooms, the sensible symmetrical floor plan, and glorious views that capture the sprawling L.A. basin, Century City, downtown high rises, and, off in the distance, a swath of the Pacific Ocean. [...]

The house’s most eye-catching design feature is also its most basic—Mullally and [designer] Ingham refreshed the walls with a coat of bright-white paint and refinished the floors with an ebony stain for contrast. That device of interior chiaroscuro set the stage for a decorative drama of contrasts: restrained modern furniture accented with highly figured Asian antiques; neutral fabrics and finishes with occasional pops of intense color and graphic rugs; and comfortable, introspective rooms with expansive views of city and sky.

A slideshow of photos from the couple’s home shows the great use of contrast with white walls and ebony-stained wood floors; the floods of light pouring in through large windows and glass doors; and their stunning views of southern California and the ocean.

For more, check out the article in Elle Decor.

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Let’s kick the week of with a little fun, shall we? Fun with a side of jealousy, perhaps. These celebrity homes will likely get you thinking about your odds of winning the lottery, but hopefully they’ll also show you a burst of style that might inform your next room-painting project, home addition or other home-improvement project.

Elton John‘s slick Los Angeles apartment is adorned with loads of pop art and even more bold colors strewn about a modernist decor. Plus, he has quite the view — not just of the city below but also of the rolling mountains in the distance.

On the country’s opposite coast, you’ll find Lenny Kravitz and his Miami Mediterranean-style villa. (Well, formerly his; he’s apparently sold it and moved on.) The interior features most white, light, open, airy spaces, but to keep things interesting, one room stands strong with blood-red walls, ceiling and carpet.

Tennis star Pete Sampras‘ 16000-square-foot mansion outside of L.A. (pictured above) puts slight modernist touches on an elegant, stained-wood-centric home. From the reading room to the theater, it’s warm and comfortable, and the huge kitchen-living area is flooded with copious natural light.

Ellen Pompeo, star of Grey’s Anatomy, finds comfort and fun in her Spanish-style home in the Hollywood Hills. The kitchen juxtaposes old-feeling terracotta floor tiles with slick and modern stainless-steel appliances, and the open arches in the living room further the blend of old and new styles.

What’s your favorite celebrity home design? Have links or photos to share?

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